DEL MAR — The San Diego Handicap has produced its share of notable champions over the past decade.
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California Chrome won in 2016. Accelerate scored a year later. And Nysos won last year in a 1-2 sweep by trainer Bob Baffert.
But few of the lead-ins to the Pacific Classic have been as appealing as Saturday’s 85th running of the 1-1/16th-mile test for older horses on the dirt — the feature of the second day of Del Mar’s 87th summer meeting.
The 32-day meeting opened Friday with Proletariat tying the 22-year-old race record while winning the featured $150,000 Oceanside Handicap for 3-year-olds at one mile on the turf before 21,422.
Proletariat, a son of Raging Bull co-owned by San Diegans Michele Arthur and Ruben Islas, covered the distance in 1 minute, 33.54 seconds to defeat Secured Freedom by 5¾ lengths.
Looking ahead, the return of Journalism to Del Mar is the focus of the San Diego Handicap. But the field also features Full Serrano as well as last year’s runner-up Mirahmadi.
The only horse to run in all three legs of the 2025 Triple Crown — Journalism won the Preakness between runner-up finishes to Sovereignty in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes — the 4-year-old son of Curlin makes his third start of 2026, but his first in California.
Journalism finished third in both the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap in April and Grade I Met Mile won by Nysos at Saratoga in June before the Belmont Stakes. Jose Ortiz was aboard Journalism for those two races as well as Journalism’s fourth-place run in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Journalism will be reunited with jockey Umberto Rispoli for the San Diego Handicap. Rispoli rode Journalism in nine of his first 10 starts with five wins — including three 2025 Grade I races: the Preakness, the Haskell and the Santa Anita Derby.
Journalism has six wins in 13 starts with three seconds and three thirds.
Trainer Michael McCarthy — who warmed up for the San Diego with three wins on opening day, two with Rispoli riding — likes the prospects of Journalism.
“He’s a very impressive physical specimen,” said McCarthy. “He’s a bigger, stronger horse this year. And it’s nice to have a home game for him instead of having to put him on a plane.”
The morning line has Journalism an even-money favorite with the main threats seen as Full Serrano (7-2) and The Goat and Mirahmadi at 6-1.
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Full Serrano won the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar after being upset by longshot Mixto in the Pacific Classic. The Argentine-bred 7-year-old has three wins in five starts at Del Mar and more recently ran third in the Pegasus World Cup.
Trainer John Sadler will have both Full Serrano and the Chilean-bred The Goat in the San Diego Handicap as he tries to score a sixth career win in the race and a 94th Del Mar stakes victory.
The San Diego Handicap is one of two Grade II stakes on the program. Eleven, 3-year-old fillies are scheduled to compete at one mile on the turf in the San Clemente Handicap, which is a prep for next month’s Grade I Del Mar Oaks.
Three of the starters — trainer Brendan Walsh’s Raiding Party, trainer Kelsey Danner’s Ground Support and trainer Saffie Joseph’s Spirit Doll — have shipped in for the San Clemente with Raiding Party being the 3-1 morning line favorite.
Pulling away
Proletariat ($14.80) took the lead shortly after the start in Friday’s feature and pulled away, giving jockey Kyle Frey his first stakes win since late in the 2025 Del Mar summer meeting.
“His race today was a real good one,” Frey said of Proletariat. “He’s always had the speed. It was a matter of getting to shut down early and wait for it. We’ve been working with him in the mornings and he’s getting better and better.”
Trainer Jeff Mullins said it was important to find the right race for Proletariat.
“This was the only spot there was for him,” said Mullins. “We knew the horse was a little bit rank going long. And Kyle has worked hard with the horse getting him to slow down early and finish strong. I told Kyle to get him to settle. He got him on the lead and he ran around there with his ears up the whole way and turned it on.”
Favored Mr. A.P. was third among the 11 Oceanside starters. Both Secured Freedom and Mr. A.P. were racing on the turf for the first time.
Notable
Rispoli and McCarthy prepped for the San Diego Handicap by teaming to score back-to-back, opening day wins in the second (Victorious Dream, $8.40) and third (Los Angeles, $18.00) races. McCarthy then scored his third victory with favorite Detain ($4.60, Juan Hernandez) in the sixth.
• Jockey Florent Geroux has decided to remain in the east this season, coming to Del Mar only for select races.
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• Opening day attendance was 21,422, up slightly from last year’s 21,209 count.